The OnePlus 8: A Phone that's Tricky to Review

OnePlus has always been known for its mid-range devices with premium features, and the latest addition to their lineup is no exception. The OnePlus 8 is a phone that's designed to compete with the likes of Samsung and Google, but it's also a device that's trying to find its place in the market.

The camera on the OnePlus 8 is one area where it struggles. It's got a 48 megapixel sensor, which is the same as the OnePlus 8 Pro, but it's an older sensor and it shows. In bright conditions, it holds up well against both the OnePlus 8 Pro and the Pixel 3, but when the sun goes down, things start to go badly for the 8. Faces can look a little smooth and brightened, especially at night. The camera also struggles with low-light conditions, which is where the phone's main competitor, the Pixel 3, excels.

But despite its camera woes, the OnePlus 8 has some redeeming qualities. The battery life is one area where it shines, with a 4300 milliamp hour battery that lasts all day long. However, charging it wirelessly is not an option, and instead relies on Warp Charge 30T, which can charge your phone in around an hour. This is a nice feature, but also a reminder of the limitations of the device.

The screen on the OnePlus 8 is another area where it's hard to find fault. It's got a great display that's fast and responsive, making it perfect for gaming or watching videos. However, the phone's camera setup is still one of its weakest points. The selfie sensor is the same as the OnePlus 8 Pro, which means there aren't many differences between the two devices in this regard.

One thing that does stand out about the OnePlus 8 is its macro lens. It's a feature that's not commonly found on phones at this price point, and it's certainly useful for taking close-up shots of objects. However, it's also a bit gimmicky, and it's hard to see how often you'll actually use it.

If you're looking for a phone with a zoom lens, the OnePlus 8 Pro is still the better choice. The Pro has a much better camera system than the standard 8, including a telephoto lens that allows you to zoom in on objects from a distance. However, if you don't need a zoom lens and are happy with a macro lens instead, then the OnePlus 8 might be worth considering.

But despite its strengths, the OnePlus 8 is also one of those phones where it's hard to find fault. The design is solid, but not particularly exciting. The phone feels like a incremental update from previous models, rather than a major leap forward. And while the performance is certainly good, it's not quite on the same level as some of its competitors.

One thing that does stand out about the OnePlus 8 is its price. It's a device that's trying to compete with the likes of Samsung and Google, but it's still relatively affordable. This makes it a great option for anyone looking for a high-end phone without breaking the bank.

So is the OnePlus 8 worth the money? The answer ultimately depends on your needs and preferences. If you want a phone with a zoom lens and better low-light performance, then the OnePlus 8 Pro is still the better choice. However, if you're happy with a macro lens and don't need a lot of zoom capabilities, then the standard 8 might be worth considering.

But even for those who are interested in the standard 8, it's hard to find fault with the device. The battery life is great, the screen is fast and responsive, and the design is solid. It's just that sometimes you feel like you're getting a phone that's been done before - rather than something truly new and innovative.

Ultimately, the OnePlus 8 is a phone that's trying to find its place in the market. It's got some great features, but it's also got some limitations. Whether or not those limitations are deal-breakers depends on your individual needs and preferences.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(eccentric electronic music)- Here's the OnePlus 8,the OnePlus device for peoplewho want this year's model,but maybe aren't intosome of the wackier ideasthat OnePlus is experimentingwith its Pro models.It starts at $699, which is$200 less than the Pro devicethat Dieter's taking alook at in his review,but all of the OnePlusessentials are still here.It's still got a great screen.It's still got great battery life.It's fast charging, it's still fast,and it's take on Android isstill just as clean as ever.And you're getting a screenwith a 90 hertz refresh rate,which is honestly, still so goodthat I wish it was astandard-issue featurefor most modern flagships.Now, if you think that soundslike a fairly traditional OnePlus device,then you're not wrong,but the difference thisyear is that with the 8 Pro,OnePlus has finally addressedsome of those issuesthat OnePlus fans have beenasking about for years.It's a device that reallymakes a serious attemptto break the OnePlus mold.The OnePlus 8 hasn't quitemade that same attempt,but it's still a goodphone at a good price,which really begs the question,is a good OnePlus devicethat doesn't break the mold worth it?Or do you need to spendthe extra money on the Pro?(calming ambient music)But the OnePlus 8 is asolidly-specced device.It's powered by a Snapdragon 865,starts with eight gigabytes of RAMand 128 gigabytes of storage,but I've been using a modelwith 12 gigabytes of RAMand 256 gigabytes of storage.There's 5G onboard, Wi-Fi6, all that good stuff,and that's a lot of spec for $699.Especially compared to,oh, I don't know, the,pretty much identicallypriced entry-level iPhone 11.So essentially, you're gettingmost of the internal specsof the OnePlus 8 Pro in the OnePlus 8.The exception that OnePlusis keen to emphasizeis that the Pro is using LPDDR5 RAM,while the 8 is using LPDDR4X,but I struggled to notice the differencein real-world usage.I mean, the two phones even lookdamn near identical from the frontbecause they both havethat same hole-punch,selfie cutout at thetop left of the screen.Yes, the 8 screen isever so slightly smallerat 6.55 inches, compared tothe 6.78 inches on the Pro,but the two phones arebasically the same width,so they don't really feelany different to hold.I mean, seriously, when I wastaking comparison photographs,I occasionally forgot which one was which.I will say that the 8screen seems to curveever so slightly less aroundthe sides of the device,which is maybe why I didn't experiencethe accidental touch issuesthat Dieter had with the Pro,but honestly, it's really subtle,and you have to really be looking for itto actually notice it.All of which is to say,the OnePlus 8 is not a device to getif you're after a smaller phone.Personally, I'd love tosee OnePlus experimentwith a smaller device,but hey, maybe that's just me.Of course, the screensaren't actually identical.With the 8, you're gettinga 1080p, 90 hertz display,with a peak brightness of 1100 nits.Meanwhile, the 8 Pro goesup to 1440p, 120 hertz,and 1300 nits peak brightness.But please, don't letthis numbers-to-numbersspec comparison lead you to believethat the 8 has a bad screen.It doesn't, it's great,it's bright, it's vibrant,and it's yet more evidence thatOnePlus really, really knowshow to put the right display on a phone.Even compared to the 8 Pro,the 8's display still feels smooth.It took me sitting withboth phones side-by-sideto spot the difference, and even then,it wasn't a night and day comparison.The phone feels nice and snappy to use.Apps open quickly, games run well.You're getting a flagshipAndroid experience here.Oh, and OxygenOS is justas out of the way as ever,which is exactly what I wantout of a manufacturer's operating system.I'm looking at you, LG.(calming music)So I've been scurrying aroundthe issue for a little while,but what are the differences between the 8and the 8 Pro that actually matter?Well, to my mind, thereare three main differencesthat you need to worry about,person who watches YouTubereviews of OnePlus phones.Namely, IP ratings, wirelesscharging and cameras.So let's just come out and say it.The OnePlus 8 doesn'tdo wireless charging.It doesn't do the fancy30 watt wireless charging,the OnePlus 8 Pro,and it doesn't do the more basicfive watt wireless chargingthat basically every other flagship devicedoes at this point.You already know if it'sa feature you want or not,so I'm not gonna labor the point too muchother than to say that it'sstill a bit of a bummer.It also doesn't havean official IP rating,which wouldn't be surprisingcoming from OnePlus,apart from the fact, thecompany has finally relentedand actually added one to the 8 Pro.And yeah, the company claimsthat it'll still survive being usedin the rain and whatever, but come on.And also, finally, the camera's different.So let's dig in.There's good news and there's bad newscontained within this triple-camera array,which consists of a 48megapixel main camera,a 16 megapixel ultra-wide camera,and a two megapixel macro camera.The good news is there'sno gimmick lens here.The bad news is you don't get a zoom lens.The macro lens is tricky,and you also don't get a main sensorthat's quite as good as the 8 Pro.It's still 48 megapixels,which yeah, is the same,but long story short,it's an older sensor,and it's just, well, see for yourself.In bright conditions, Ithink it holds up wellagainst both the OnePlus8 Pro and the Pixel 3I happen to have for comparison's sake.If you check out these shots I tookduring my government sanctionedwalk around the block,I'll be well-pressed to tell a differencebetween the 8 and the 8 Pro,and the Pixel 3's imageshave a slightly softer look in comparison.Look at this picture of acar and you'll see the hedgebehind it tints slightly yelloweron the 8 compared to thePro, but look, it's minor.It's after the sun goes downthat things start to go badly for the 8.Things are just a lot brighterand clearer on the Pro.Faces can look a littlesmooth, weird and brightened,especially at night.Oh, and here's some selfie shots,and OnePlus uses the same16 megapixel selfie sensorbetween the 8 and the Pro,so they're aren't many differences there,but there definitely seems to besome kind of skin brightening going oncompared to my Pixel 3,especially considering it's managedto correctly expose the sky behind me.Obviously, you don't geta zoom lens with the 8,but you do get a macro lens and,(groans)I don't really know how useful it is.Look, I'm not gonna deny thatunder the right circumstances,you can get a little bit more detailwith the 8 than the Pro.I took these two shotsfrom the same distance awaywith both phones with theirmacros modes turned onand let them do their thing,and sure enough, you cansee a little bit more detailin the shot from the 8,but other times, I straightup got a better macro shotout of the 8 Pro, even thoughit doesn't have a macro lens,like with this horsehead on a Venetian mask,which I just couldn'tget the 8 to focus onno matter how hard I tried.Or if you're more of a video person,then you can see foryourself what it looks like.This is from the 16 megapixelfront-facing camera.So the easy answer is thatif you want the better camera setup,you gotta go Pro, especiallyif you want a zoom lensand better low-light performance.But the much harder question to answeris how well the modestly priced OnePlus 8competes against similarly priced rivals.And let's not forget,these include the entry-level iPhone 11,and honestly, I just don'tthink the 8 quite nails it.I can't really complain aboutthe battery life in OnePlus 8.It's got a 4300 milliamp hour battery,and I haven't even been able to come closeto running it down with a full day of use.Although, you can't charge it wirelessly,it supports Warp Charge 30T,which can charge yourphone in around an hour.So this is a nice phone,but you already knew that.It's a OnePlus phone, at this point,there's just certain thingsyou can kinda take for granted.It's got a great screen,it's wicked fast, it's solidly built.It's camera can standto be a little better,and for reasons that seemto apply only to OnePlus,it doesn't support wirelesscharging or have an IP rating.So yeah, the OnePlus 8doesn't really break the mold,but I don't think thatmakes it a bad phone.It just makes it a littlepredictable at this point,but that makes for a hard choice.Do you go for thepredictable OnePlus phone,or do you spend $200 more for a devicethat definitely overcomes someof these long-standing issues?You'll have to watch Dieter'sreview of the OnePlus 8 Profor a complete look at that device'sstrengths and weaknesses.But a lot of the choicecomes down to this,is a $200 price premium worth itfor wireless charging and IP ratingand a slightly better camera?Because if it's not, then theOnePlus 8 is a great phone.All right guys, thank you somuch for watching this reviewin these super weird times,and I truly hope you arestaying as safe and wellas you can be at the moment.And check out the super janky camera setupthat we've had to useas Alix has directed meremotely (laughs) from zoom.Anyway, thank you so much guys,and check out theverge.comfor the full review of the OnePlus 8and OnePlus 8 Pro, see ya.\n"